Transit.



A. ANGEL.

TRANSIT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1910;

Patented Nov. 28,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

COLUMBIA Y'LANOGRAPH CD WASHIW, D. C.

,A. ANGEL.

" TRANSIT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1910.

- 1,010,339. Patented Nov, 28, 1911.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPl-l C6.,WA H1NGTON. D. c.

ALBERT ANGEL, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

TRANSIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

Application filed November 28, 1910. Serial No. 594,513.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, ALBERT ANGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements n Translts, of which the following is a specification, reference be-- ing had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is an improved transit for use by surveyors and consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

One object of my invention is to effect improvements in the devices for adjusting the instrument.

A further object is to provide improved means for leveling the instrument.

A further object is to provide improved means to prevent undue friction between the spindle and the sleeve of the instrument.

A further object is to effect improvements in the construction of the spider and the means coacting therewith to level the head of the instrument.

A further object is to provide improved means for attaching the instrument to the lower member which is screwed to the socket in the head or cap of the tripod.

A further object is to provide improved means to prevent dust and grit from reaching the joint between the cap of the instrument and the member on which the cap turns.

A further object is to provide improved means for adjusting the verniers.

A further object is-to provide improved means for supporting and adjusting the leveling bulbs or tubes.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved transit partly in section. Fig.2 is partly an eleva tion and partly'a central sectional View of my improved transit. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on a larger scale, on a plane intersecting one of the verniers. Fig. 4 is'a plan partly in section, and showing the standards which support the telescope in section. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan of the cap showing the levels for the compass and also showing the verniers. Fig. 6 is a vertical detail sectional view on the plane indicated by the line ee of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail section on the plane indicated by the line m'x of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional View on the plane indicated by the line y- 1 of Fig. 4, showing the means for adjusting the verniers.

The base of my improved transit comprises a lower member 1 and a member 2 which has on its upper side an annulus 8. The member 2 is hollowed under the annulus 3.- The lower member 1 is circular, and is provided at its center with a depending tubular portion 1 which is externally threaded as at 5 so that it can be screwed into the usual threaded socket in the cap or head of the tripod on which the transit is to be used.

On the upper side of the member 1 is a tubular cylindrical portion or flange 6 which is provided on its outer side with alternately disposed threaded segments 7, and un-.

threaded port-ions 8. At its lower end the said member 2 is providedwith a depending concentrically disposed annular portion or flange 10 into which the flange 60f the lower member 1 extends, the said flange 10 being provided on its inner side with alternately disposed threaded portions 11 and unthreaded portions 12 which coact with the threaded andunthreaded portions of the flange of the lower member 1 to enable the latter to be secured to the said member 2 by a single partial rotation of the latter on the lower member 1 as will be understood.

The head of the transit comprises a cap 13 and a lower. member 14. The cap isprovided with a peripheral depending annular flange 15 -which has a semi-cylindrical groove, 16, on its inner'side near its lower end, and is further provided with a central cylindrical socket 16 in its under side sur rounded by an inner depending annular flange 17, the said cap being further provided with a concentrically disposed depending flange 18 which is substantially midway between the flanges 15 and 17. On the upper side of the cap is a centrally disposed integral upwardly extending portion or boss 19 of suitable diameter, and at the center of the cap is a circular opening 20. The lower member 14 is hollow in its upper side so that it is provided with a circular wall 14 and also has a central opening 21 and a counter-bore 22. The head 23 has a downwardly extending inverted frustoconical sleeve 24. The said head is fitted in the counter-bore 22, secured to the member 14 by screws 25, and is also provided on its upper side with an annular flange 26 which bears against the side of the opening 21, the said head being further provided with an upwardly extending annular flange 27 which forms the upper end, in effect, of the said sleeve. An inverted frusto-conical spindle 28 has its bearing in the sleeve 24 and extends therethrough, the said spindle being provided at its upper end with a head 29. Said head 29 has in its under side a circular socket around and concentric with the upper end of the spindle 28 in which socket is an adjusting or take-up screw ring 29, the threaded periphery of which engages a thread in the wall of the said socket, the said take-up ring bearing on the upper end of the flange 27 of the head 23, and

. when properly adjusted effectually preventing lost motion between the head 29 and the head 23. The said head 29 fits in the socket or recess 16 of the cap 13 and is secured thereto by screws 31. At the lower end of the spindle 28 is a screw-threaded stem 32. The said spindle is provided at suitable points on its surface with longitudinal grooves 33 which serve to retain some of the lubricating oil, and are disposed in staggered relation and prevent the lubricating oil from working downwardly between the surfaces of the said spindle, and the said sleeve 24, and greatly facilitate the lubrication of said surfaces by supplying oil as the same is needed.

A spider 34 has its bearing on the sleeve 24, is provided on its upper side with an annular flange 35 which bears against the under side of the head 23 of said sleeve, and is also provided on its under side with a depending annular flange 36, the lower portion of which is reduced in diameter to provide shoulders 37, and 38. A nut 39 is screwed on the threaded stem 32 of the spindle 28 and bears against the lower end of the sleeve 24 and also against the lower end of the flange 36 of the spider 34.

A socket member 40 has an outwardly extending bottom flange 41 which bears against the under side of the cap annulus 3 of the member 2, the said socket member extending upwardly through the central opening formed by the said cap annulus, and having a substantially tubular portion 42 which is provided at its upper end on its inner side with an annular seat 43 which forms the segment of a sphere. A ball member 44 which is a segment of a sphere fits, and has universal angular movement, within certain limits, in the seat of the socket member 40, is screwed on the lower threaded portion of .the flange 36 of the spider and is formed with an integral cap 45 which covers the nut 39, and has a threaded opening for the reception of a screw 46 which screw has a head 47 that bears against the under side of the cap and has a central opening in its head, the upper portion of the screw being provided with an eccentrically disposed bore. An adjusting head 48 which is cylindrical in form fits and is movable in the eccentric bore of the screw and bears against the under side of the stem 32, of the spindle 28. This adjusting head has an eccentric threaded bore which is in line with the central opening in the head of the screw 47, and is engaged by the threaded portion of an adjusting screw 49, the major portion of which is unthreaded so that the same can readily turn in the opening of the head 47. and the unthreaded stem of the said adj usting screw has an annular groove 50 which is engaged by a pin 51 that extends transversely through the head 47, said pin and groove coacting to permit the adjusting screw to turn readily in the head, and prevent the same from moving vertically. It will be understood that by turning the said adjusting screw, the adjusting head 48 may be moved as may be required to slightly lift or tend to lift the spindle 28 to reduce friction between said spindle and the sleeve 24, and thereby render it easier to turn the head of the transit as may be required in the use of the same. The adjusting screw 49 has an opening 52 near its lower end for the reception of a chain whereby to suspend the usual weight, the said weight and chain, and tripod being not shown, as the same are of ordinary construction, are well understood, and form 110 part of my present improvements.

Each radial arm 53 of the spider 34 has a threaded bore which is' engaged by a leveling screw 66 which is provided with a milled turning-head 67 whereby it may be readily rotated. Each leveling screw has a ball 68 at its lower end which fits in a socket in a foot piece 70 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the foot pieces of all the leveling screws bearing on the top portion 3 of the base. The leveling screws are provided with cap nuts 58 and 59 as indicated in Fig. 2 to prevent lost motion between the leveling screws and the arms of the spider. The spider co-acts with the leveling screws and with the ball and socket joint effected by the parts 43 and 44 to allow the head of the transit to be adjusted as may be required to level the same.

The sleeve 24 is angularly adjustable with reference to the spider and the head of the instrument is angularly adjustable with respect to the sleeve as is usual in transit instruments.

One object of my invention is to provide improved devices for effecting such adjustments by means of which the adjustments may be first made approximately correct in a very short time, and then made exact by appropriately turning an adjusting screw.

I will now describe my improved adjusting 73 of the ring 71 is provided at its inner end with a collar 76 which is adapted to turn on the said flange 73. The said arm also carries a clamping screw 77 by means of which the said collar 76 may be clamped to the flange 73 so as to secure the adjusting arm firmly to the said flange 73, and hence also to the said sleeve 24. On the under side of the said adjusting arm 75 near the outer end and also near one side thereof is a depending post 78 which is globular in form and is provided onits upper side with a stem 79 which fits in a vertical opening in the said arm and is secured therein by a clamping screw 80.

To effect an approximate adjustment of the sleeve with reference to the spider, the clamping screw 77 is loosened, the sleeve then turned, together with the head of the instrument carried thereby, until an approximate adjustment is effected, the clamping screw is then engaged with the collar 76, so as to lock the arm 75 to the said sleeve, and the fine adjustment required is then effected by appropriately turning the fine adjusting screw associated with the above elements.

The cap 13 is provided at one side with a depending lug 102 in the outer side of which is a threaded groove 103 for engagement by a fine adjusting screw 104. Said adjusting screw is carried by a post 105 which rises from one side of an arm 106 which has at its inner end a collar 107 which is mounted to turn on the lower portion of the head 23, and bears between the ring 71, and the diametrically enlarged upper portion of the said head. The said arm 106 is provided with a clamping screw 108, the inner end of which bears against one side of the said ring 107. That portion of the clamping ring which is engaged by the screw 108 is pliableand capable of movement radially, and hence when the clamping screw is appropriately turned to move that portion of the ring inwardly, the ring becomes firmly clamped on the head 23 so as to lock the arm 106 to the said head.

In order to prevent dust and grit from reaching the joint between the cap 13 and the member 14, I provide a tubular holder ring 112 which fits in the groove 16 of the cap flange, and is provided in its exposed side with an annular slot 113 through which extends a shield 114 which may in practice be a piece of suitable cloth or other fabric. The inner edge of the said annular shield bears firmly against the peripheral portion of the member 14, and the outer edge portion of said shield is extended into the tubular ring 112, through the slot 113 thereof, doubled and bent reversely in the bore of said tubular ring and secured therein by means of a suitable cement.

The compass casing 115 is secured as at 116 to the cap 1.3 and is formed with an inwardly extending annular dial flange 117 which is inscribed on its upper side with the points and graduations of the compass. The cap ring 118 is secured to the upper portion of the cap casing as at 1.19 and is provided with the usual glass cover or crystal 120. The compass needle 121 is provided at its centerv with the usual socket 122 in which is fitted a jewel 123 to mount the compass needle on the tapered upper end of the pin 124, the jewel and the pin forming the bearing for the compass needle.

In order to ascertain and indicate when the cap of the instrument is perfectly level, I provide a pair of graduated glass spirit bulbs or tubes 134 which are disposed at right angles to each other, and in a pair of openings 135 with which the cap is provided at points within the compass casing. A level holder 136 is provided with a pair of rod like arms 137 which are disposed at right angles to each other and extend longitudinally under the bulbs or tubes of the spirit levels and are connected thereto by rings or hoops 138 which pass around the said bulbs or tubes near the ends thereof, and are provided at their under sides with lugs 139 through which the saidarms extend, set screws 140 being also employed to engage the said arms and secure the hoops or rings thereto. The holder 136 is secured to the underside of the cap 13 by means of a screw 141. The outer end of each arm 137 is connected to an adjusting nut 142 which is engaged by a screw 143 (see Fig. 6). Said screw has a cylindrical head 144, the diameter of which exceeds that of the screw, the said head being provided near its upper end with radially disposed openings 145 for the reception of a suitable pointed instrument to enable the screw to be turned. The head of each screw 143 is further provided at a suitable point with an annular circumferential groove 146. The head of each screw 143 has its bearing in an appropriately shaped socket in the head 147, of a tightening screw 148. The threaded lower stem portions of the tightening screws 148 engage threaded openings with which the cap 13 is provided as shown in detail in Fig. 6. The head of each tightening screw is provided with radial recesses 149 for the reception of a suitably pointed instriunent whereby said tightening screws may be turned, and

the head of each screw 143 is connected to the head 147 of each tightening screw 148 for movement vertically therewith, and also for revoluble movement independently thereof by means of a pin 150, the said pin engaging the annular groove in the head of the adjusting screw 143. Hence a swivel connection is eflected between each screw 143 and the tightening screw 148, which carries it. To adjust either of the levels as may be required, its adjusting screw 143 must be appropriately turned. The adjusting screws being at the outer ends of the arms which carry the levels, either of the levels may be adjusted independently of the other.

Another object of my invention is to provide the cap of my improved transit with verniers which may be readily adjusted into alinementand into coincidence with the di ametrically opposite marks on the scale of the member 14. In carrying out the features of my invention whereby I attain this object, the cap 13 is provided at diametrically opposite points with segmental openings 151 which disclose the usual scales 14 on the upper side of the wall 14 of the member 14 and also disclose the verniers on the vernier pieces 152. Each vernier piece is segmental in form and bears against, and

is movable on the outer side of the flange 18 of the cap. The cap is provided at points near opposite ends of the openings 151 with threaded openings 153 in which are screws 154, the lower ends of which bear on the upper sides of the vernier pieces near the ends thereof, and serve to slightly space the vernier pieces from the under side of the cap. Each of these screws 154 is provided with a bore 155 centrally disposed, and which extends therethrough, the upper ends of the said bores being provided with counter-bored enlargements 156. The screws 154 are provided at their upper ends with nicks for the reception of a suitable instrument whereby they may be turned. Screws 157 which engage the vernier pieces connect the same to the screws 154 and pass through and are movable transversely in the bores 155, and longitudinally with the vernier pieces, the diameters of the bores 155 greatly eX- ceeding the diameters of the screws 157 and the heads 158 of the said screws 157 bear against the shoulders formed by the bottoms of the counter-bores 156 of the screws 154, so that the screws 157 are carried by the screws 154.

By adjusting the screws 154, the vernier pieces may be raised or lowered as may be required to bring their upper surfaces exactly on a level with the upper, scale face, of the member 14, and by first loosening the screws 157 slightly the vernier pieces may then be adjusted as may be required to cause their Zero marks to exactly coincide with the corresponding marks on the scales 14*, it

being understood that when the vernier pieces have been thus adjusted, the screws 157 must be tightened so as to secure them in adjusted position. The screws 154 and 157, as will be understood, enable the vernier pieces to be readily adjusted, and from. the top of the instrument. The openings 151 which disclose the vernier pieces and the scales 14 are covered by glass pieces 159 which are mounted in frames 160, secured by means of screws 162 on the upper side of the cap 13. Each of these frames is provided with a hinged cover 161 which may be raised to disclose the vernier under the same or closed to cover and protect the glass.

I claim 1. In a transit, a base comprising a lower member and upper member, said lower member having a depending externally threaded tubular portion being also provided, on its upper side, with a cylindrical flange provided on its outer side with alternately disposed threaded segments and unthreaded portions, said upper member being hollow, provided with an annulus having a central opening and also provided with a depending annular flange having interior alternately disposed threaded and unthrcaded portions to co-act with those of the flange of the lower member; a head connected to the base for revoluble movementand also for universal angular movement, the said connection including a socket element having a base flange engaging the under side of the annulus of the upper member of the base, a ball element seated in the socket element and connected to the head, a spider connected to the head and adjusting screws connected to the arms of the spider and provided with foot-pieces bearing on the annulus of the upper member of the base.

2. In a transit, the combination of a base, a socket element connected thereto, a ball elementseated in said socket element for angular movement, and having a cap on its lower side, a spider having a screw element engaged wit-h said ball element, the said spider being provided with a downwardly tapering opening, adjusting screws for the spider, a head having a downwardly tapering sleeve bearing in the said opening of the spider and provided with a downwardly tapering bore, a head having a downwardly tapering spindle bearing in the said sleeve, a take-up ring in the said head bearing on the upper end of the said sleeve, a nut screwed to the lower portion of the spindle, and engaging the lower end of said sleeve, an adjusting screw swivelly mounted in the cap of the ball element, below the said spindle, and an adjusting head engaged and operated by said adjusting screw bearing against the lower end of the spindle.

3. In a transit, in combination with a cap having a depending flange and an annular member on which said cap is mounted for I revolution, the said flange of the cap being provided on its inner side with an annular groove, a tubular holder ring in the said groove, and a shield having one edge secured in the said holder ring, and the other edge bearing against said annular member.

4. In a transit, in combination with a cap and a member on which the cap is mounted for angular movement, a shield covering the joint between the cap and the said member, said shield being secured to the said cap and bearing against the said member.

5. In a transit, the combination of a cap and an element on which the same is mounted for angular movement, the said element being hollow in the side opposed to the cap and provided with an annular wall on which the cap bears, the said wall being provided on the side opposed to the cap with scales and the said cap having openings displaying said scales, verniers on the under side of the cap, in the hollow of the said element and having their graduations on their upper exposed sides, the outer edges of the said verniers being opposed to the inner side of the said Wall of said element, vertical screws in threaded openings in said cap and bearing at their lower ends on the said verniers, and screws swivelly mounted in the first mentioned screws and engaging threaded openings in the said verniers, the said screws serving to adjust the verniers to level the same with the upper or scale face of the wall of the said element.

6. In a transit, the combination of a cap, and an element on which the same is mounted for angular movement, the said element having scales on the upper side thereof, and the said cap having openings displaying said scales, verniers on the under side of the said cap coacting with the said scales, vertical screws in threaded openings in said cap, and bearing at their lower ends on the said verniers, and screws swivelly mounted in the first mentioned screws and engaging threaded openings in the said verniers, and closures for the said openings in the cap detachably mounted on the cap, and covering the upper ends of the said screws.

7. In a transit, a cap having a compass casing on the upper side thereof, and openings therein within that portion of the cap forming the bottom of the compass casing, leveling tubes disposed in the said openings, holders for the said leveling tubes secured to the under side of the said cap and adjusting screws for the said holders, said adjusting screws being disposed without the compass casing, and on the said cap.

8. In a transit, a cap having an opening, a leveling tube displayed through the said opening, a holder for the leveling tube, and provided with a nut, a tightening screw engaging a threaded opening in the cap, and an adjusting screw swivelly mounted in the tightening screw and engaging the said nut of the holder.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature in the presence'of two witnesses.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

